Framed: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Welcome to Framed, a column at Cinematical that runs every Thursday and celebrates the artistry of cinema -- one frame at a time.

Sometimes it's hard for me to steer clear of my horror proclivities (not that I want to). Chances are, none of us popped out of the womb with an encyclopedic knowledge of all the genre had to offer -- though, how great would that be? Instead, something probably crept into our subconscious as wee tots that we haven't been able to shake since. Several classic Disney film favorites feature themes that are darker than their technicolor smiles would have you believe. This has left horror fans like me salivating over the things that lurk in the shadows since childhood.

Disney's (and America's) first animated feature, 1937's 'Snow White,' has all the makings of a great horror tale -- and not a drop of blood is spilled. For starters, a wicked queen is so enraged by her own jealousy that she nearly murders her step-daughter. A stalking huntsman, witchcraft, poison, a dark forest with wicked woodland creatures, dwarfs (see: Browning, and later, Herzog), glass coffins, and blood red lips complete the picture. There's a reason why director Dario Argento and cinematographer Luciano Tovoli turned to 'Snow White' while crafting 'Suspiria's' overall look. It's a princess-driven fairy tale with a gothic heart, tucked neatly inside a jeweled box.